Italian Sausages & Lentils

I love one-pot (or one-pan in this instance) dishes for midweek dinners because if there’s one thing I hate more than having to come home and cook after a tough Wednesday at work, it’s washing up afterwards! This tasty treat is super simple and strikes the perfect balance between healthy and delicious. I like to serve it with some good crusty bread, a green salad and a nice big glass of red!

Italian Sausages & Lentils

Olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced

Salt & pepper

2 cups dried Puy lentils, rinsed

1 bay leaf

8 Italian sausages

½ cup red wine

¼ cup chicken stock

Italian parsley, roughly chopped

In a large heavy based fry pan, add a little olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat. Add the celery and carrot and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan and then brown the sausages on both sides for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

Return the vegetables back to the pan and then add the lentils. Cook for a minute or two and let the lentils coat themselves in the flavoured oil before adding the red wine.

Allow the alcohol to burn off and then add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Place the sausages on top of the lentils and then cover pan with a lid.

Simmer over medium heat for half an hour or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the sausages are cooked through.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread and a garden salad.